A New School
by LittleTree
Summary: Everyone hates moving schools, even in the wizarding world.
1. Enter The Canuck

**A NEW SCHOOL  
_Chapter One: Enter The Canuck_  
**Disclaimer: I wish I owned them, but alas I only own Gwyn.

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A new school.

A new school with new rules.

A new school with new rules and new people.

A new school with new rules and new people in a new country.

Spectacular, just fucking spectacular.

"You'll love it." My mother assured me for the hundredth time.

"I hate you for doing this to me." I replied in kind. It shut her up for the time being. "I thought we had to take a train."

"The train is only at the beginning of the year." She explained pulling my trunk into the middle of the street with her.

A new school with new rules and new people in a new country in the middle of my seventh year. Wow did I ever hate life right about now.

"Come on, no need to dawdle." She said. I moped into the street taking as much time as I could. My mother checked her watch and waited for a few seconds before there was a loud BANG and a bright purple double-decker bus appeared.

"Hogsmeade please." My mother said and stepped onto the bus. We sat on a bed and waited through the awkward silence. "This is the Knight bus." She said with a fake cheery voice.

"Yeah whatever." I said rolling my eyes. I could give a flying one about another stupid British thing. What seemed like an eternity later, but was in fact only an hour or so we got off the "Knight Bus" and stepped into a small town.

I lugged my trunk for a half-hour until we reached the school grounds. My mother assured me that if was only the trunk that was slowing me down and the walk wasn't usually this long. I ignored her as best I could.

We walked up to the massive front doors and were greeted by an old man, who could've been at least 300 years old if I had to guess.

"Ms. Braddock I presume." An old man said with a small smile, half hidden by his beard. I nodded and shoved my hands in my bunnyhug pockets as my mom greeted him.

"Ah Lisa, it's been too long." The old man said, embracing my mom. I stood idly by while they chattered away for some time.

"Gwyn this is headmaster Albus Dumbledore." Headmaster? This was going to be weird.

"Pleasure." I mumbled obediently.

"Thank you for doing this Albus, I know it's not usual…" my mom sputtered.

"It's fine, what kind of godfather would I be if I didn't help you out?" he mused. Well that caught my attention. "Well Gwyn, you missed the sorting ceremony but you will be placed in Griffyndor, as that is where your mother was." He explained popping a candy into his mouth after offering them to us.

"That's fine sir." I said robotically.

A door swung open and an extremely proper looking witch marched in.

"Ah Professor McGonagall, perfect timing. If you would take Ms. Braddock to the Great Hall and find her a suitable guide." The Albus guy said.

"Of course headmaster." The woman said.

"Okay honey, be good." My mother said pulling me into a hug.

"Yeah whatever." I growled into her shoulder. "Feed Puck."

"I mean it Gwyn, stay out of trouble this year. Please." She said pulling away and releasing me. I just nodded reluctantly and followed the witch from the giant entrance.

We walked up some stairs and to a huge set of doors, reassuring me that I would indeed be lost almost all of the time.

'Would you like to wait here?" she asked in a stoic tone.

"Yes ma'am." I said scuffing my feet on the floor. She nodded curtly and spun on her heel, throwing the doors open and stalking into the room.

I looked around in the entrance. Four banners hung from the rafters a snake, a raven, a badger and a lion. Slytherin with the snake, adorned with silver and green; Ravenclaw with the raven, decorated with blue and bronze; Hufflepuff the badger decked out in yellow and black; and, Gryffindor with the lion festooned in scarlet and gold. I shuddered as it sunk in that I would be wearing scarlet and gold. My colors had been light blue and silver for my entire life.

The woman returned with a girl my age.

"Miss Granger this is Gwyn Braddock." Prof. McGonagall said motioning to me as I continued to gaze at my surroundings, this place sucked. "Miss Braddock?"

I spun around to look at the two people. I cracked a smile and nodded in the young girls general direction. She looked me up and down in the nicest way possible before turning to the scary lady.

"Oh, I was expecting………a err………first year Professor." she whispered in a shocked tone, an attempt not to upset me I was sure.

"I transferred." I explained walking towards the stunned girl. "Gwyn Braddock." I said and extended my right hand. The girl shook it and smiled. After a curt handshake we turned to Professor McGonagall.

"Hermione is one of the top student's here at Hogwarts, I'm sure the two of you will get along splendidly. Hermione, Gwyn is also in Gryffindor, so if you would kindly show her to the tower, the house elves have set out a robe for her to wear." Professor McGonagall said before turning on her heel and walking out.

"So you transferred?" Hermione asked as she led me to Gryffindor tower. I nodded and followed Hermione gracefully up the stairs.

"I transferred from a school in Canada. But we moved to England after my parent's split up. My mother went to Hogwarts so………by default I go here now." I said putting my hands in the pockets of my bunny-hug. I looked around at the castle, it wasn't what I had expected. I was now convinced that her last school was far superior to this dingy old castle.

"I'm sorry to hear about your parents." Hermione said quietly. I snorted in a very unlady-like way, catching Hermione's eye I smirked.

"Why? My fathers a drunk bastard." I said letting anger flash through my ice blue eyes. We stopped in front of a portrait of a fat lady and Hermione said the password and the portrait swung open. I reluctantly stepped through, noticing the abundance of red and gold, Gryffindor's colors. I sighed and followed Hermione deeper into the common room.

"This is the common room. The boys dorms are to the left, and our room is this way." Hermione said and took me up to our dormitory. "You can take that bed, just change into your robes, we get house-points off if we're caught without one."

I sighed and took off my bunny-hug, laying it care-fully on the bed. I stood in my tank top and glared at the robe that was in front of me. To me it was disgusting. A black heavy robe with colored trim and a badge made of red and gold, just looking at it made me quite homesick, so I glared even harder.

"It won't bite." Hermione said as she suppressed a giggle.

"It might." I shot back with a grin in place. Finally I picked up the heavy robe and looked at it closer. Holding it up to the light. Put it on the bed and rubbed the back of my neck gently, sighing with the realization that I'd have to wear it.

"You have a pretty interesting mark on the back of your neck." Hermione said as I inspected the robe. I ran my hands overtop the back of my neck, gracefully touching my tattoo. I grinned at the memory of it, simply done to piss off my mother for making me leave my school and all of my friends, it still stung a bit, but it was worth it to see the horrified look on my mother's face.

"It's a tattoo." I explained. " A muggle indulgence that I enjoy."

"Yea I've heard of those, never seen one up close though." Hermione said. i shrugged. "It's moving." She noted, with a bit of surprise in her voice.

"It's nothing to write home about." I said. Turning to face Hermione again. "It's enchanted. Sort of a permanent mood ring, the background behind him changes, and he randomly moves around, every once in while he'll have an instrument…I don't know where he gets it, but it shows up."

"May I ask what it stands for?" Hermione asked. I turned my back again and pushed up the back of my hair.

"It's a traditional kokopelli man…its Australian actually, all of my friends have one, each is a little bit different." I explained and turned back to see a perplexed expression on Hermione's face. "What?"

"He seems to be scowling at me." She said. "Are you upset?"

"Not upset," I assured her. "Uncomfortable." Upon seeing her face I elaborated. "At my old school the houses weren't animal based, they were element based. Earth, Ice, Sky and Fire. I was in Glace, or the ice house. So were all of my friends. Going from light blue and silver to red and gold…it's a step." She just nodded her understanding.

I could feel a wave of sadness wash over my features before I turned her back and finally pulled on the robe and followed Hermione back to the common room. We were met with stares of a large group of kids and two stunning young men who were waving us over.

"Hey 'Mione, who's the friend?" Harry Potter said looking me up and down. Harry Potter, the Boy who Lived. Well isn't he special…. Hermione hit Harry in the stomach and found her way into the other guys arms.

"Boys, this is Gwyn Braddock, she's new. Gwyn this is Harry Potter and Ron Weasley." Hermione introduced.

"Pleasure." Harry said kissing my hand. I choked down a laugh and gave Harry a weird look.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me." I said pulling my hand away. Making Ron laugh. "Nice to meet you Ron."

"You too, it's great to finally meet someone who can put Harry in his place." Ron said extending his hand, I shook it and nodded. I had a feeling that Ron was going to be a good guy to hang around with. But I wasn't so sure about that Harry kid.

"I have to show her to the classes now, do you have your schedule?" Hermione asked.

"What year are you in?" Ron asked overtop of his girlfriends question. Hermione poked him in the ribs before turning to me for an answer.

"Seventh." I said. Hermione smiled bigger.

"So are we, this should be easy." Hermione said pulling out of Ron's grasp, they kissed briefly. "Let's go."

We chatted as we walked through our classes. Until we got to the dungeon's.

"Just to warn you we have the worst Potions professor ever. And on top of the fact that he's evil, he hates Gryffindor's." Hermione said stopping in front of the doors. I nodded, and we walked into the classroom, I was half-expecting some sort of monster.

Professor Snape sat at his desk with his head down, not noticing as we walked in. Hermione was about to say something when I cut her off.

"Well I'll be damned."

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A/N: I'm A Review Junkie...feed my habit!  
ALSO Read the companion piece TIMM's by JSparrow 


	2. Acquaintances

**A NEW SCHOOL  
_Chapter One: Aquaintances_**

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"Well I'll be damned." I said loudly so that Snape looked up from his weekend work.

"Gwyn Braddock." He stated looking at the cause of the outburst. I smiled.

"Hello again Severus." I said, leaving Hermione standing there with her jaw on the floor.

"You two know each other?" Hermione asked. I smiled and nodded.

"Severus is a friend of my mother's, isn't that right?" I said. Snape nodded curtly. "I'm sure I'll be fine for this one on my own Hermione feel free to leave me here."

Hermione looked up at Snape to find him snarling at her, she quickly left the room.

"You're more like your mother every time I see you Gwyn." Snape commented as I approached the desk.

"I hope that was a compliment." I said flashing her professor a smile. He chuckled and nodded. "We left my dad so now I come here, what did I miss?"

"You missed half of a semester." Snape said his lips curling into a small smile.

"Thank you Captain Obvious, we'll now board the Space Shuttle DUH and jet to planet No Shit." I said rolling her eyes. "Do I have to make any homework up?" she asked giving the professor the best puppy-dog look she could.

Snape laughed quietly. "I suppose I could let it slide. You know you're mother could make me do anything with that exact look."

I nodded happily. "She told me."

"Oh sorry professor………" a student said walking into the room. I turned around and saw the most gorgeous boy I had ever laid eyes on.

"It's fine Mister Malfoy, just getting our new student up to speed." Snape said, noticing the familiar look in my eyes.

"And who might this be?" I asked licking her bottom lip.

"Draco Malfoy, this is the new student Gwyn Braddock." Snape introduced. Draco mirrored the same action Potter had only moments earlier. But this time I didn't pull away.

"I just came to pick up the ingredients for the potion." Draco said, his eyes never leaving mine.

"I'll leave you two boys to your work." I said walking to the door. "Play nice, I'll see you tomorrow Professor."

Hermione was waiting outside Snape's classroom. I walked out and smiled at her. I could tell she was brimming with questions but continued walking regardless.

"Where to next?" I asked.

"You _know_ Snape?" she asked in an oddly hushed tone.

"I've known him my entire life." I said with a shrug. "So Defense Against the Dark Arts is where?"

"Sorry I just didn't know that Snape had friends." She said with a small smile.

"Not many, I assure you, but some." I said following a half step behind.

"Ah Ms. Granger, I was expecting you." A woman said motioning us inside.

"Professor Steele, this is Gwyn Braddock. She'll be joining us for the remainder of the year." Hermione said.

"Yes, I've been informed thank you." The woman said standing up to put a book on the bookcase behind her. "I assume you've taken a course similar to this?"

"Yeah." I said She stopped and looked at me strangely before nodding and dismissing us.

"That's our last class of the day. Anywhere else you'd like to see?" Hermione asked.

"Anywhere I should?" I asked.

"Not really. Shall we go back to the dormitory? See if all yours things are in order?"

I had to smile at her accent, it was too fitting.

"So you're a top student?" I asked as we made our way through the halls.

"Well yeah I suppose." She said blushing slightly. I smiled and looked at her robe.

'What's the H for?" I asked as we walked along.

"Oh! I'm Head Girl." She said blushing a little deeper.

"I used to be top potions at my old school." I said in an attempt to make her feel better.

"Hermione!" a group chorused form behind us. She spun on her heel.

"Who's your friend?" one guy asked. I rolled my eyes and turned around.

"Gwyn Braddock, I'm new." I stated.

"Dean."

"Seamus."

"Neville."

"British." I commented.

"Erm, Scottish actually." Seamus said with a smile. I nodded, because that information was clearly imperative to my staying here. Hermione looked at me with a smirk and began walking again, which I followed, as did our new friends, much to my dismay.

"So where are you from?" Dean asked walking up beside me.

"Canada." I answered and waited for the inevitable 'eh' joke.

"Canada, eh?" he said and laughed to himself.

"How original." Hermione commented as we approached the painting of the fat lady.

"What can I say?" Dean said with a self-satisfied grin. "I'm an original kind of guy."

They all followed us inside, confirming my fear that they were all in my house.

"Hey 'Mione!" Harry yelled running up to greet us. I felt the whole common room turn to look at us, and attempted to maintain a nonchalant look. "Hey Gwyn." He said in, what I assumed, was supposed to be a 'dashing' and 'seductive' voice.

"How about that dorm tour?" I asked Hermione who just nodded and practically dragged me up the stairs. We shut the door to our room before she burst out laughing. "I take it that they aren't always like this?" I asked in a hopeful voice. She nodded and sat down on my bed.

"I suppose it's the new kid effect." She said with a shrug. I opened my trunk and pulled out a couple pictures of friends and one of my dog before reaching and finding the vial of silver liquid that caught Hermione's eye.

I saw her quizzical gaze and pulled off the top letting a single drop fall onto the comforter. I smiled as it spread over the top of the comforter and then disappeared. Hermione was about the comment when the first snowflake fell right in front of her.

"Wha?" she asked as I sat on the bed and placed the pictures on the wall.

"It's snow in a bottle." I explained. "One of the random potions we learned in the first year honors course."

She watched as the snow fell steadily onto the bed. Luckily it was only a potion and the snow disappeared before it hit the sheets.

"Can you teach me?" she asked. I nodded with a shrug.

"If we have the right things."

She nodded and her gaze shifted to the pictures I had placed on the wall.

"Who is that?" She asked motioning to one of the pictures. It was the picture of me and my bestfriend Adrien after she'd won one of her Quidditch games.

"That's Adrien" I said with a grin before I remembered that it would be another 6 months before I saw her again. "And _that _is the best dog in the world." I said pointing to the picture of me and a HUGE Huskie. "His name is Puck."

She smiled and nodded before checking her watch. "It's time for supper, we should get down there."

I just nodded and followed her down out of the dorms. Ron and Harry were waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

"We were wondering if you were going to forget about food." Ron said with a small grin. His arm wrapped around Hermione's back and he led her out of the Griffyndor room. Which left Harry to walk beside me, which I wasn't pleased with.

"So what do you think of the classes?" he asked.

"I'm looking forward to Potions, other than that I can't really say." I said with a shrug. Ron and Harry stopped to look at me like I was growing an unusual limb from my face.

"Oh that's right!" Hermione exclaimed. "I forgot to tell you. Apparently we were wrong. Snape does have friends. Gwyn's parents are old friends of our dear professor."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Ron exclaimed. "You know Snape?"

"Yes." I stated, I really didn't want to delve into the details of Severus' relationship with my mother. Ron grabbed my elbow and pulled me up alongside him as we walked.

"Then you have to tell us what he's like outside of school." He said with a grin.

Harry caught up with us a moment later and soon we were at the huge doors, one of the few places I could recognize and a whole bunch of student were filing into the Great Hall.

"First time at the Great Hall?" a voice said from behind me. I turned with a smile to see the Draco kid from Severus' class.

"Yeah." I said, not noticing how my companions had taken to glaring at him. "You gonna show me around?"

"I would." Draco said with a smile that left me practically breathless. "But I'm not too sure that your sitters would enjoy it."

I looked over my shoulder and saw the looks of absolute hatred that the trio were shooting Draco and gave Hermione a questioning glance.

"Some other time then." Draco said and walked past us into the Great Hall. I watched him walk away and licked my lips. Damn but that boy was hot.

"Damn…" I muttered. Hermione grabbed my elbow and pulled me aside. Letting the guys go ahead to grab us a couple spots at the obscenely long table.

"Malfoy?" she hissed. I nodded and looked past her trying to get another glimpse. "No. I know I haven't known you long but take my advice and stay away from him."

"But he's gorgeous," I whined. She looked like she was about to throw up.

"He's an ass." She stated simply. I nodded, they always were. All of the good-looking guys that I was attracted to were assholes. But he was SO pretty. I wanted to keep him and lock him away and do multiple things that my mother wouldn't approve of.

"I'll try to stay away from him, but I'm not promising anything." I said with a sigh. This girl obviously knew better than I did. After all she had gone to school with him for seven years. She nodded and led me to sit in-between her and Ron. Apparently she had already noticed my dislike of Harry.

I spent the entire meal watching Draco eat and wondering what else he was good at, his hand to mouth coordination was astounding. And then I realized what I was thinking and clued back into the conversation that Ron and Seamus were having about Quidditch and rolled my eyes. Boys and Quidditch, I'd never understand it.

"So who plays what on the Griffyndor team?" I asked pretending to be interested.

"I play Seeker, I have since first year." Harry said and I pretended he wasn't alive.

"I play Keeper and Dean and Seamus are the Beaters." Ron said.

"Any of you play hockey?" I looked around to see blank looks on all of their faces.

"I played football before I came here." Dean said with a smile.

"Yes, and soccer shouldn't be dignified as a sport." I said before turning to Hermione who was finished her meal as well. "So the owlery is on the agenda?"

Hermione smiled and nodded before accompanying me up to the tower where the owls were kept.

"Which one is yours?" she asked.

"Do you know any Bob Marley?" I asked with a little grin on my face. Hermione nodded slowly.

"My parents are big fans." She said.

"Sing it. Anything by him." I said looking around at all of the owls. Hermione stood for a minute before starting to sing softly.

"No woman no cry…No woman no cry…"

I smiled as my owl came swooping down form the rafters and onto my arm.

"Hermione meet Bob, Bob meet Hermione." I said with a smile as the great horned owl pecked at my robes in distaste. "Yeah I know, they're black."

Hermione laughed.

"You can leave me up here, I might be able to find my way back down, I have a letter to send to my friends." I said producing a letter from my pocket. She nodded and left the owlery.

"Alrighty Bob, it's a long flight, I know. But can you take this to Aje? She's at Trudeau's," I said to my owl, not noticing when someone else came into the owlery. I tied the note to his leg and watched him fly out the window.

"Is that what they call the Canadian school?" came a drawl from the doorway.

"Possibly." I said watching Bob fly away. I turned and leant against the windowsill watching as Draco approached me. "You know they tell me that I should stay away from you."

He raised an eyebrow and took a step closer. "Is that what they say?" he asked and uncrossed his arms. I nodded as my tongue ran across my bottom lip and I thought back to his hand mouth coordination. "Then I suppose you should be leaving." He said and turned to the side so I could pass. But hormones got the best of me and I stayed rooted to the windowsill. He stepped back in front of me and took a step closer again.

"I'm not one to follow directions." I said with a small smile and he took another step closer, leaving him a foot away maximum. "So do you often hangout with the owls?" I asked. He grinned and chuckled to himself.

"I will if you're around." He said looking into my eyes with his piercing green ones. I nodded in approval.

"Good line." I commented and he shrugged. "I bet you say that to all the girls."

"Not all of them." He defended.

"Just to the ones you want to romp." I said with a grin and he shrugged and nodded. "Does it work?"

"Not too sure…is it working now?" he asked inching forwards. I nodded slowly.

"It has a certain affect."

And then he was right there, his lips inches away from mine when the door swung open.

"Gwyn!" Hermione yelled into the owlery. I swore under my breath and slid away from Draco walking into Hermione's view. "I didn't want you to get lost, so I thought I'd come get you."

"Of course you did." I said with my fists clenched, my heartbeat was slowing down but I wasn't all too pleased with her. "Thanks."

* * *


	3. Companions

**A New School**

**_Chapter three: Companions_**

* * *

We walked out of the owlery and down the tower stairs.

"So I take it you weren't alone." She said as nonchalantly as possible for someone who was unbelievably nosy.

"Nope I sure wasn't." I said with a sigh as we walked through the halls.

"I thought as much." She said with a slight shake of her head. "Honestly Gwyn, he's just not a good guy."

"Yeah but when do I EVER fall for the good guy?" I asked more to myself than anyone else. "Plus if the good guy is Harry I think I'd rather be eaten by a barrel of monkeys."

Hermione laughed.

"Is he really that bad?" she asked. I nodded as we walked along. I liked this Hermione girl, we could have some fun if we were ever allowed off the damn grounds.

"Are we ever allowed off of school grounds?" I asked. Hermione nodded.

"We have weekend trips to Hogsmeade, and Christmas Vacation." She said. I nodded and carried on along with her. "The guys have Quidditch practice, I thought we could go watch." She suggested and I shrugged and nodded, we went down to the field and watched them fly around on their little broomsticks for the next hour. Hermione never once taking her eyes off of Ron.

"So how long have you been together?" I asked as they all landed and headed for the change rooms.

"Um about a year and a bit." Hermione said, pretending that she couldn't remember the exact date, time and place.

"So do you three always hang out together?" I asked, I was full of random useless questions that had nothing to do with anything.

"Yep." She answered without hesitation. "Since first year, Ron was the first person that Harry met and then I met them on the train."

"I've heard a lot about this so-called train." I commented staring at the sky.

"So did you have a boyfriend back in Canada?" Hermione asked, now that we were having girltalk.

"Several." I said with a grin. "No one serious. All of them got me in trouble more than once. But nobody special."

"Got you in trouble?" she asked as the guys came towards us.

"Yeah I have a tendency to go for the not-so good guys." I said with a shrug. "Luckily for me I have a troupe of overprotective brother figures that always bail me out."

"So was your school much different?" Ron asked as he sat down next to Hermione, kissing her temple on the way down.

"Yeah I guess, I'm not too sure." I said with a shrug. I didn't like talking about home, it reminded me that I missed it. I watched as the green and silver team sauntered onto the field and I had to smile as Draco came into view.

"Came to watch a real team practice I see." He said with a smile, but from a distance.

"Bugger off Malfoy." Ron said through clenched teeth.

"No, I prefer to watch real sports." I said with a yawn. "But if you insist on playing this than by all means don't let us stand in your way."

Ron stood and offered his hand to Hermione, Harry offered me his hand but I waited for Ron's. Hopefully Harry would get the point sooner or later.

"Alright boys, let's get this over with, I have letters to send." I heard as we walked away and smiled to myself.

"I think you guys are going to have to draw me a map of the castle. You know classes, library, owlery…all that good stuff." I said as innocently as I could. Ron and Harry agreed but Hermione just sent a playful glare my way. I shrugged I couldn't help it if I couldn't get enough of the kid, blame his parents.

We went back up to what they called the 'common room' and sat around, I randomly got introduced to people as they walked by, most of the names I won't remember.

"Hey guys!" a red headed child said sitting down in our little circle of chairs. I looked from her to Ron and decided that they had to be related. "Pardon their manners. I'm Ginny, Ginny Weasley. This goon is my older brother." She said jerking a thumb towards Ron who just shook his head at her and pulled Hermione closer to him on the couch they were occupying.

"Gwyn Braddock." I said extending my hand, which she shook eagerly.

"So I hear you're from Canada." She said. I waited long enough for the 'eh' joke and gave a sigh of relief when it didn't come.

"Yeah, I am." I said. She just nodded and looked to Harry who was engrossed in a Quidditch magazine.

"So Harry, how are your classes going?" Ginny said with a smile. He shrugged and kept reading; she rolled her eyes at him. "Any chance of you moving in to the Head rooms yet 'Mione?"

"And share a common room with Malfoy? Are you kidding me!" Hermione practically screeched.

"So Draco has a big room all to himself?" I inquired and Hermione just reached over and hit me. I bit my tongue as a million other comments came to my mind and just smiled.

"Don't tell me you actually like Malfoy!" Ginny exclaimed in a whisper. I shrugged and kept it to myself.

"No, she just enjoys bugging me." Hermione said. I grinned at her, and decided that she and I could definitely be cool together.

"Anyone care to explain the whole last name thing?" I asked looking at the four faces who just shrugged.

"It's been on-going since their first year." Ginny explained.

"How would you know? You weren't even here!" Ron exclaimed in frustration. It seemed to me that he wasn't all that happy with his sister hanging out with them.

"Play nice you two." Harry mumbled from behind his magazine.

"Well it was a real pleasure but I'm wasted, I'll be in bed if anyone needs me." I said. Hermione nodded and after a ridiculously long kiss with Ron she joined me upstairs.

"So you have a whole common room to yourself, with your own bedroom and bathroom and you CHOOSE to stay here?" I asked as we changed and climbed into bed. Putting a drop of bottled snow on my bed before I pulled the curtains.

"Anything is better than staying with Malfoy." She grumbled.

"Yeah but you and Ron could probably could use the alone time." I said, sitting up and looking across at her.

"And what makes you think that Malfoy would let us be alone?" she asked as her head hit the pillow.

"Well I could take care of Draco if you needed me to." I said with a grin.

"Goodnight Gwyn." She stated, trying not to laugh and let the curtain fall, covering her from view.

"Night Hermione." I said with a smile and watched the snow fall down on top of me.

I woke up in a cold sweat obscenely early in the morning like I always did. To my surprise Hermione was already downstairs in the common room, going over some Potions homework.

"You're up early." I commented sitting in a cushy chair across from her.

"I could say the same about you." She said. I shrugged and then rubbed one of my shoulders.

"So any possibility you could take a break from that and direct me towards the showers?" I asked. Hermione smiled and nodded and pointed me in the right direction. As I was leaving the girl's showers most of the girls were getting up. I sauntered back into the dorm room where Hermione was fussing with her hair.

"So how much trouble do you get in if you can't tie this stupid tie?" I asked holding the red and gold striped tie in my hand. She laughed and took it from my hands, placing it around her neck she tied it in the mirror and then loosened it and gave it to me.

"I hope you realize that now you're going to be tying my ties every morning for the rest of the year." I said and tightened the tie around my neck. She just laughed again before walking with me down to the Great Hall.

"So are you excited for your first day of school then?" Ginny asked as we ate as slowly as possible. It was a Monday after all. I shrugged and stared across the room at the Slytherin table, damn that hand mouth coordination.

"Come on, we don't want you to be late for your first class ever." Hermione said. I'm pretty sure she was more excited about this than I was.

"Yes because that would just be horrible." I said rolling my eyes at her. She just smiled and led me to our first class.

"Good morning Miss Granger, Miss Braddock is it?" the small man said as we walked in. I nodded curtly and followed Hermione to a seat. "Oh yes, please seat yourself next to Miss Granger, I'm sure she'll help you get caught up."

"Of course Professor…" I said searching my head for the name that just wasn't there.

"Flitwick, dear, Flitwick." He said as the other students began filing in. I nodded at the small man and wrote his name at the top of my parchment so I could remember. I half listened as Professor Flitwick explained the basics of a new charm that I couldn't pronounce even if I tried to do it. We weren't going to try it today anyway, so I sat back and every once in a while took down a few notes.

"Alrighty class, tomorrow then?" Flitwick said and everyone stood up. I looked at Hermione.

"It's time to change classes." She said standing between Harry and Ron. I stood up and walked with them.

"But how do you know?" I asked as we walked down the crowded hallways.

"Because we were dismissed." Hermione said like it was the easiest thing possible to understand. "How did it work at your school?"

"Chimes. After the hour was up. Apparently Hogwarts seems to think that you can get by without them." I said with a shrug. "So we have what next?"

"Double Herbology with Hufflepuff." They all answered in unison. I just nodded and followed them outside to the greenhouses, observing the large number one on the doors.

"Gather 'round class." The plump witch said. Hermione had a tendency to be at the very front of every class so gathering wasn't really necessary. "First of all I'd like to introduce the Hufflepuffs to a new student that has joined Griffyndor for the remaining year. Say hello dear." She prompted.

"Hey." I said, acting as cool as possible. I could practically feel all of them rake their eyes up and down me, a typical teenager's reaction to a new person.

"Now, today we'll be working with Croatian Tiger lilies. Can anyone tell me what part of them is the key ingredient to the Rilynslam potion- Ms. Granger?" Professor Sprout asked. I could remember Sprout, the witch taught Herbology, it made sense in my head anyway. I watched Hermione raise her hand and saw a couple of the Hufflepuff kids roll their eyes.

"Their pollen, if extracted correctly, is the key ingredient." She said, ignoring the other house.

"And can anyone tell me it's main use?" Professor Sprout asked, looking past Hermione's already raised hand. I raised mine and Professor Sprout nodded to me.

"The Rilynslam potion is used to help regain sight to people who got their eyes damaged." I explained.

"Very good Miss Braddock." Professor Sprout said and pulled out a Tiger Lily. "Now, these are teenage Tiger Lilies whose incisors have been removed, so they aren't overly dangerous - but watch your fingers just the same."

I didn't pay attention on how to extract the pollen from the plant animals. I went with Hermione to her table with Ron and Harry where our plant was waiting for us.

"How do you get it to open?" Ron asked standing half-behind his girlfriend. They all shrugged and I smiled. I reached out and stroked the stem with my index finger, the flower made a soft purr and opened up. I continued to stroke the stem and motioned for them to go ahead.

'If you're so cozy with it then you stick your fingers in his mouth." Ron said pointing at the plant. I shrugged and continued stroking it with one hand while I pried it's mouth open. I held it's mouth open and Hermione retrieved the pollen.

"How did you know it wouldn't bite you?" Harry asked, observing the entire operation.

"One, because it's incisors have been removed and two because I have one at home, they're wonderful companions." I said with a grin.

"Man eating plants are wonderful companions in Canada? Remind me never to go there." Ron said, I just shook my head.

We were dismissed from Herbology and the trio led me to Transfiguration. Luckily we sat near the back so I didn't really have to pay attention. I took a few notes down but mostly drifted off and made a list of every single thing I missed about home.

I walked along with them to the Great Hall for lunch.

"So I saw you taking amazing notes in Transfiguration class." Ron said sarcastically as he helped himself to Hermione's potatoes. I shrugged.

"I can't help it if I can't pay attention, it's practically impossible, especially when I'm used to my old classes and that lady scares me." I said.

"Professor McGonagall is amazing, she's the head of Griffyndor." Hermione explained and went back to eating. I ate in silence and listened to their conversation. I wondered how long it would take Bob to get to Canada and back.

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k someone review just so i know someone's reading 


	4. Reviewing

**A New School**

**_Chapter Four: Reviewing_**

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****

Hermione had to elbow me to wake me from my reverie and we continued down to the dungeons for Potions, the one class I was looking forward to.

"Miss Braddock why don't you sit with the top student?" Professor Snape said once we got to the class as he shot the trio a dirty look. I shrugged and he led me over to a vacant desk.

"Oh good, the top student doesn't exist, thanks Sev…Professor." I said sarcastically. Snape gave me a small smile that only I saw and I sat and waited.

"What's she doing on this side?" a whiny voice said. I was about to turn around and smack her, but was beaten to it.

"If Snape sat her here he has his reason Pansy." A familiar voice drawled as he sat down beside me.

"Sure Draco, of course." The girl swooned. Well at least she had decent taste.

"Top potions student?" I asked as he sat next to me.

"In the flesh." He said with a cocky grin that was all too attractive. I smiled and watched as Severus began to teach.

He went over a new Potion that Draco and I perfected within minutes and then called me up to his desk.

"So how has your day been?" he asked with a stern face so the other students wouldn't know that it was a social chat.

"Not bad, miss home, but not bad." I said with a straight face, I was trying not to smile or grin, but it wasn't really in my nature not to.

"Good, good." He said and looked down at a book in front of him.

"So are you always this dramatic in class or were you trying to make it special?" I asked, cracking a grin that I couldn't stop. He just shook his head and motioned for me to leave. I went back to my seat where Draco was lounging contently, watching the incompetent students fail.

"What did Snape have to say?" he asked as I sat down.

"I have to find someone to catch me up on all of the potions I've missed." I said with a smile. Hermione who was at the next table just shook her head at me.

"Someone from Griffyndor no doubt?" Draco asked laughing at the inept kid across the aisle. Snape swooped down to yell at the kid and I shrugged.

"He didn't specify actually." I said.

"How convenient." Hermione mumbled from beside me. I shot her a grin.

"Well if you don't mind meeting in the library, I'd be glad to offer my services." He said turning to me as Snape announced that he was deducting points from Griffyndor for being so incompetent.

"Sounds good to me." I said. "So after Defense in the library?" he nodded and I walked over to the incompetent kid and fixed his potions much to Snape's chagrin.

"You're lucky you seem to have acquired some help, Mr. Longbottom." Snape said and began walking away.

"So that would mean there was no point in taking points away, am I correct?" I called after him. The room went silent and everyone turned to look at me with their jaws on the floor.

"Pardon me?" he asked spinning around to look at me. "Are you questioning my judgement Miss Braddock?"

"No of course she wasn't!" Ron said from behind me.

"Silence Mr. Weasley I wasn't speaking to you." Snape snapped.

"I believe I was Professor. Of course if it's a problem to voice your opinions in this school then let me be the first to apologize." I said rolling my eyes at the blatant display of power.

"I shall let it slide this time. In the future Miss Braddock I suggest you learn to keep your opinions to yourself in my class." He said and swung his cape thing as he walked away. And with that we were dismissed.

"Word to the wise…" Ron started. "Don't bother Snape, he likes the GRiffyndors like he likes his steak…"

"Medium rare?" I quipped with a grin.

"Dead." The trio answered in unison making me laugh. I couldn't understand why they were so sketchy around Snape…okay well I could see it I guess, but I didn't find it any less funny.

We walked into the Defense Against the Dark Arts class and Hermione pulled to her table to sit next to her. I was about to comment when the teacher began before half the class was seated.

"Today class we learn Occaecus Aegis. No watch carefully." She went to the center of the class, as the desks were moved in a circle type thing…more of an amoeba but I'm not complaining, and did some sort of freaky wand movement and whispered 'Occaecus Aegis'. When nothing happened I just kind of looked around. "Throw something." Was all she said and to my surprise the students picked up whatever they could and launched it at her. It didn't hit her, but still, at my old school we'd need a bit more convincing before pelting our teacher with random objects. "Now who wants to try?"

I would have volunteered, but then it occurred to me that if it didn't work, you'd have no way of knowing and would end up getting pelted with random objects. Of course Mr. Bighead stepped up.

"Very well Potter, remember….jab and slash." She said repeating the freaky wand movements. After Potter had perfected it in just one attempt (shock and awe), we all practiced with our partners.

"Swear to god if you hit me with anything hard, I'm coming after you while you sleep." I warned and then did the spell. She lightly tossed the smallest book she had at my feet, and I smiled when it bounced away. "Well I'm perfect." I said with a shrug and Hermione just laughed. After she had perfected it in one simple attempt (shock and awe), we sat at the desk and chatted.

"You're not really thinking about going to meet him in the library are you?" she asked in a hushed voice and I just shrugged.

"I don't see why I shouldn't. I mean, yeah you think he's scum and I get that, but I still want a piece of him." I explained, then smiled at her facial expression of disgust.

"And you're meeting in the library for that?" she squeaked and I just shrugged again, I did a lot of that apparently.

"Don't worry we won't desecrate the library. Besides nothings gonna happen tonight."

"And why not?" she asked. I looked at her and realized that she was actually perplexed by this.

"Because then what? I mean I get with him, and if he is a dog like you say then I'm out of a flirting partner, and that's no fun. So I fully intend on dragging ti on as long as my poor little hormones can take it." It was her turn to laugh. "What's so funny? I mean, it makes sense."

"You are certainly going to be good for this school." She said with a smile.

"Aw thanks!" I said. "No chance you can calculate how long it will take Bob to get to Canada and back?"

"I could, or I could just say a couple more days and keep you from rendezvous' in the owlery." I had to laugh at that, quite loudly in fact.

"Does this mean I shouldn't count on you for directions to the library after class?" I said running a hand through my hair. She just sighed in a disapproving way and drew me a map on a piece of parchment. "Aw and look who's a pal!"

"I am in no way encouraging you! Let me get that straight." Hermione said pulling the map back from my hands. "I personally think that you should wait a few days and get to know some of the boys from our house."

"Okay, I promise we won't elope tonight, how's that?" I said sarcastically. She just hit my shoulder lightly and then everyone stood in unison. "Is there like some secret signal that I'm not seeing? Because this is just stupid." I complained as I gathered my books in a hurry. Hermione just laughed and handed me the map before walking out in Ron's embrace.

I followed the perfectly drawn map, swear to god even the scale was perfect, through the halls and finally to the library where I grabbed the nearest empty table and pulled out some parchment. But instead of starting on the homework that I was almost sure I had, I turned and stared out the window and found myself longing to be home more than ever. I bit my lip as I realized that I should be watching the Quidditch practice around now.

"Reminiscing?" the drawl came from beside me, waking me from my reverie.

"Something like that." I said turning to him with a smile. He slid into the seat across from me and slouched in the chair, making me wonder if he was actually human. And if he was there were very few humans that could move like that.

"Enjoying the view?" he said with a slight chuckle and a cocky smile that looked way too good on that face.

"And what makes you say that?" I said raising an eyebrow. He just shrugged and pulled out some parchment.

"You just seemed to be quite interested is all." He said, a smile playing on his lips. I shook my head.

"Well arne't we the cocky little shit." I said with a smile and he shrugged again. "Just admiring the stitching on that robe of yours, very well done."

"A sewing fan are we?" he asked as he flipped his book open.

"No but it was a good cover." I said with a cocky grin that rivaled his. He just laughed and nodded. "So where are we starting." I looked up at him to see an amused smile on his face. "And why are you lookinga t me like that?"

"Your accent." He said.

"I don't have an accent." I corrected him.

"Page four." He conceded and I found the page in the textbook.

"I know this one." I said and leaned back in my chair, making it balance on the back legs.

"Rumor has it you know them all." He said. "Which leads me to wonder why we're here. I'm sure there are plenty of other more private locations for us to become acquainted."

"Well it seems, that unlike your other trollops, I don't roll with those I don't know." I said. He just nodded. "Plus I hear that dreamy Harry Potter kid has his eyes set on me…and I mean who can resist that ugly hairdon't and grandpa glasses right?"

"Are you sure they sorted you into the correct house?" Draco said with a smile that would've made my legs give out if I were standing, how did he get his teeth so white?

"What do you mean?" I said cocking ym head to one side.

"I believe that one of the prerequisites for being in Gryffindor is worshiping the Boy Who Lived." Draco said. I shrugged.

"I wasn't 'sorted'. My mom was in Gryffindor so I got palced by default." I said and then smiled as SNape swooped in. "Checking in on me?"

"No, I am relieving Mrs. Pince so she can go eat her dinner." He said, but looked from me to Draco and back.

"I just thought that Ms. Braddock would like to go over everything we've learnt to make sure she knows it." Draco said smoothly.

"And the fact that you were the top potion's student at your old school was evidently forgotten Gwyn?" Snape said raising an eyebrow.

"Reviewing never hurt." I said with a huge grin. So what if I was straight busted? "But thanks so much for reminding me." I added through clenched teeth. "Well since reviewing is apparently frowned upon here, I'll take you up on your offer Draco." I shut my books and stood. "Excuse us Professor, we're going to go somewhere a bit quieter to get to know each other more intimately." I looked to Draco who was doing his best fish-out-of-water impression, looking from Severus to myself, gaping for air. "No? Alright then. See you tomorrow Professor." I said and waltzed out of the library in an attempt to return to the 'common' room. I found it after a half hour of wandering around.

"Well that was quick." Hermione said upon my arrival.

"Teenage boys have stamina difficulties." I said with a grin.

"Hey now!" Ron protested. "That's a generalization!"

"Word of the day?" I quipped and he blushed. "Turns out I misunderstood Severus' instructions. Thankfully he showed and clarified them for me." The joke was lost on the boys but Hermione laughed. "So what do you do for fun around here?"

"Interested in a game of Wizards Chess?" Ron offered with a huge smile that I couldn't possibly resist. After he beat me thoroughly, we went down for supper. I sat with Hermione and used every bit of my powers of restraint to refrain from glancing towards the Slytherin table to once again admire his hand to mouth coordination.

"I'm impressed." Hermione said finally. I smiled at her with questioning eyes.

"With what?" I asked drinking some strange liquid that tasted like Halloween. I'd never get used to their way of eating. I mean, you didn't even get to order what you wanted, it just appeared and you had to eat it. I missed home.

"You haven't glanced over at the Slytherin table once." She said, eyeing the boys who were far too engrossed in their Quidditch chatter to care about our trivial conversation.

"Oh trust me, it hasn't been easy." I said my smile growing as she shook her head at me. "Has he looked over here?"

"Several times in fact." Hermione said with a small nod. "So I was talking to Harry…"

"Really? That's a great story." I cut her off. She glared at me for interrupting and continued.

"And he apologizes for making such a rude first impression." She said. I just nodded.

"Wonderful." I said. "I'm not dating him."

"SO we should chalke up another point for Malfoy then?" Ginny asked from across the table, I had been unaware that she was listening.

"What?" I asked. Points? There was a score? There was a game? Was I playing in this game?

"Well, I have this theory." Ginny began, Hermione rolled her eyes, and I leaned forward. "See whenever someone new comes, or someone 'grows into her figure' as my mum would say, Malfoy and Harry both go after them, it's kind of like a competition. I'm keeping score."

"And who's winning?" I asked, I enjoyed this little game.

"Malfoy, by a landslide." Hermione offered, then looked at me pointedly.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Of course we're sure, we even made a chart." Ginny said.

"And how have you collected your info?" I asked leaning back and smiling at their bewildered faces.

"Well Malfoy has a tendancy to brag about his latest conquests and Harry tells Ron who tells one of us." They said, seemingly satisfied with their system.

"So there's no way that Harry could have fucked a bunch of other girls without you knowing?" I asked raising an eyebrow. This made them all flustered and I just laughed. "I'm just bugging you guys, don't worry about it." I reassured and they calmed down. "SO he's experienced then?"

"Far more than any boy his age should be." Hermione said, I giggled, earining a glare.

"You sound like my mom." I said with a grin and she just blushed. "And I wouldn't want to waste my efforts on someone who wouldn't know what to do when the time comes."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." Hermione said with a grimace. Sounds like someone's saving themselves.

"Oh please, like you don't talk about sex all the time." I said sarcastically, stalling my eye rool only when they looked at me like I was crazy. "You don't? Seriously? What do you talk about then?"

"Other things." Ginny said. "Actually everything but." I just nodded and thought about how many times the guys had to yell at me and Aje to shut us up. I stuck out my bottom lip as I realized that I should be amongst the Quidditch team, listening to their strategies like I cared.

"You okay?" Hermione asked, placing a hand on my shoulder. I turned to her and nodded.

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End file.
